Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) & GSA

Ryan Day (IC) & Joe Castle (IG)

7/20/17

Users Directly Accessing Your App

Your App

API = Application Programming Interface

Your App

TheirApp

API

RESPONSE

REQUEST

For this presentation, we’re talking about Web APIs

Web APIs Generally:- Use HTTP to communicate- Have a web-accessible address- Use a request and response- Typically transfer data in XML or

JSON formats

(web)API

An API is like a wall socket

Creative Commons Thatonewikiguy

An API can serve multiple consumers

API

Your Web Site or Application External web sites

or applications

Mobile Application

What other Government APIs are out there?

https://www.usps.com/business/web-tools-apis/

- Package tracking- Postage price calculator- Package pickup scheduling- Address validation

Why create an API?

-

Your App

What GSA APIs are out there?

https://open.gsa.gov/api

What other APIs are out there?Search “API directory”

API Strategy (w/ examples)- GSA API Strategy developed and presented to leadership in March 2016

- Objectives- Specifications- Recommendations

- Best place to start - https://open.gsa.gov/api/- Standards, Feedback- City Pair Program and prototype

API Interactions - External and Internal

Follow-up- Explore the documentation provided in this Tech Talk

- Slides posted online at tech.gsa.gov/techtalks- Reach out to Ryan and Joe with questions- Consider creating your own APIs

- Join our quarterly API Workgroup- Features APIs currently being developed at GSA- Features industry and government guest speakers